E-Paper
Police raid hookah parlour in Dhankawadi, book five persons
Sahakarnagar police raid an illegal hookah parlour operating out of a high-end residential society in Dhankawadi and booked owner and four others
PUNE: The Sahakarnagar police on Monday conducted a raid on an illegal hookah parlour operating out of a high-end residential society in Dhankawadi; booking the owner and four others, and seizing material worth ₹12,495.
Following instructions from senior police officials to clamp down on unauthorised hookah parlours and their operators, senior police inspector Vitthal Pawar of Sahakarnagar police station had asked his team to gather intelligence about and take strict action against such activities. While patrolling the area near Gulabnagar Chowk on Monday, police constable Amol Pawar got a tipoff about a hookah parlour operating without licence from the third floor of Guru Nanak Krupa building located in Rajmudra housing society, Dhankawadi. Acting on the information, a special team was constituted and sent to carry out a raid at the premises. The team entered the building and reached the terrace via the staircase, breaking open a wooden door to get access of the premises. There were six tables arranged inside the hall of the premises, four of which were occupied by eight persons smoking flavoured hookah.
Upon interrogation, the police identified the owner and staff present at the site. The owner was identified as Rajsingh Bhajansingh Gorowada, 35, a resident of Guru Nanak Krupa building, Rajmudra society, Dhankawadi. The staff members were identified as Paras Parmanand Sharma, 24; Subhash Manasingh Giri, 20; Tilak Bhola Tiwari, 35; and Narayan Meghe Acharya, 34; all of them working as waiters and originally hailing from Nepal. A search of the kitchen and premises led to the seizure of hookah pots, chillums filled with different types of flavoured tobacco and other hookah-related materials. The seized items, valued at ₹12,495, were confiscated in the presence of panch witnesses.
A case has been registered at Sahakarnagar police station under sections 123 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; along with sections 4A and 21A of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2018. Further investigation is underway.
